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Disney Interactive Media Group
Disney Interactive formerly known as Disney Interactive Media Group and Walt Disney Internet Group, oversees various websites and interactive media owned by The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries. History On Aug 23, 1995, Disney Interactive formed Disney Online unit. Buena Vista Internet Group Disney purchased a one-third share of Starwave on April 3, 1997 for $100 million. Disney on January 1998 registered go.com. source: CNet News.com, http://www.news.com.com. Exercising its options, Disney purchased the outstanding shares of Starwave from Paul Allen in April 1998. In June 1998, Disney purchased 43% ownership of Infoseek in exchange for Starwave and $70 million. Infoseek and Disney Online joint ventured in developing the Go Network, an internet portal. With Disney's purchase of the remainder of Infoseek in July 1999, the Go Network, Infoseek, the Disney Catalog, Disney Online (Disney.com and DisneyStore.com), ABC News Internet Ventures and ESPN Internet Ventures and Buena Vista Internet Group are merged into the Go.com company. The Go.com portal was shut down in 2001 at a cost of $878 million in charges. In 2004, Disney re-activated the Starwave identity as Starwave Mobile, which publishes casual games for mobile phones for non-Disney brands with in Disney conglomerate or from third party. In late 2007, WDIG purchased IParenting Media's websites. Interactive Media Group On June 5, 2008, Disney Interactive Studios and the Walt Disney Internet Group, merged into a single business unit now known as the Disney Interactive Media Group."Disney's games and internet divisions merging", Joystiq.com, 2008. In 2009, DIMG's Disney Online unit purchased from Kaboose multiple websites including: Kaboose.com, Babyzone.com, AmazingMoms.com, Funschool.com and Zeeks.com. In July 2010, Disney Interactive purchased Playdom for $563.2 million and Tapulous for its Mobile division. On July 1, 2010, Disney Interactive announced it had acquired Tapulous, the studio behind the Tap Tap Revenge franchise for iOS."Disney acquires Tapulous" from Techcrunch.com In October 2010, two co-Presidents were named for DIMG, John Pleasants and James Pitaro, with orders to make the company profitable. In January 2011, DIMG closed its Propaganda Games game studio and lay off another 200 later in the month. On February 18, 2011, DIMG purchased Togetherville, a pre-teen social network. In November 2011, DIMG purchased Babble Media Inc., owners of babble.com, an early parenting advice and blogging site. Also in February, Disney purchased Finland based, Rocket Pack, a game development company with a plugin free game development system. In April 2012, the Group announced three web series targeted towards mothers: "Moms of", "That's Fresh" "Thinking Up." By October, DIMG had 15 consecutive quarters of losses totaling some $977 million. Lane Merrifield, the founder of Club Penguin, resigned after conflict with Pleasant. DIMG also in October announced "Toy Box", a cross platform gaming initiative where Pixar and Disney characters will interact from a console game to multiple mobile and online applications. In May 2012, Disney Interactive Media Group changed its name to Disney Interactive. In January 2013, Disney Interactive Games' Avalanche Software unveiled the Toy Box cross platform game as "Disney Infinity" based on Toy Story 3 game's "Toy Box" mode crossed with a toy line. Also in January, Disney Interactive announced the closure of Junction Point Studios. Units *Disney Interactive Studios **Rocket Pack *'Disney Online Studios' produces immersive, online virtual worlds **Club Penguin **Pirates of the Caribbean Online **Toontown Online **Pixie Hollow Online **Virtual Magic Kingdom (Closed) **The World of Cars Online (Closed) *Disney Online *Disney Mobile **Tapulous *'Playdom' produces a portfolio of casual games for social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Disney Online Disney Online is a division of Disney Interactive that operates most of Disney online portfolio. History On Aug 23, 1995, Disney Interactive formed Disney Online unit with the naming of Jake Winebaum as president of Disney Online. On November 19, 1996, the opening of DisneyStore.com was open under Disney Online business unit. The family.com website is launched on December 9, 1996. Source: CNet News.com, http://www.news.com.com. Disney announced on April 18, 1997 that it will purchase Starwave's Family Planet Web site and merge it with Family.com. Source: CNet News.com, http://www.news.com.com. The Disney Daily Blast (dailyblast.com) web site is official launched on April 23 under a subscription plan and daily content targeted to younger viewers. In July 1998, Disney Online announced dig.com, Disney Internet Guide, a child friendly web directory which is launched in June 1998 Source: CNet News.com, http://www.news.com.com. and closed one year later in June to focus on Infoseek/Go Network. Disney sold movies.com to Fandango in June 2008. Disney.com purchased Kerpoof in February 2009. Online units *disney.com **Disney Online Kerpoof Studios *Disney Family Network websites - also called Mom and Family Portfolio *DigiSynd, social media marketing *Take180 -Disney's YouTube channel External links *Disney Interactive News Room *Disney.com **Disney Family Network websites ***Babble.com ***Spoonful.com ***Babyzone.com References Category:Walt Disney Company subsidiaries